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$166,000 per second. That was the cost of most of the advertising seconds during Super Bowl 50. For that price, we are bound to get some pretty great commercials, right? Here’s a look at my top seven Super Bowl 50 ads.

 

1/2     T-Mobile – “Drop the Balls” and “Restricted Bling”

Let me tell you, T-mobile ads caused the most audible laughter from our Super Bowl group. The use of humor and timeliness make these ads effective. The first ad features Steve Harvey making fun of himself for his now infamous incorrect Miss Universe announcement. In the ad that parodies Verizon’s recent ad, Harvey calls out Verizon as the reason the audience is misinformed. Check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI8YZdejPKg

The other T-Mobile ad features Drake and parodies his song, “Hotline Bling.” The song’s music video spurred tons of memes and parodies, with even Donald Trump recreating the video during an SNL skit. T-Mobile used the popularity of “Hotline Bling” to create an ad that would appeal to a mass audience, one the Super Bowl certainly had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDIeNrcGxvQ

 

3     Audi – “The Commander”

This commercial felt impactful. The idea was that a retired astronaut could feel the exhilaration and excitement of life again when driving the Audi R8. It seems like this ad is specifically targeted to the older demographic, but as a 20-something, it certainly pulls at my heartstrings and takes my breath away. The spot features David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ and the new 205-mph Audi R8 V10. I believe that space travel is still a concept that demands the attention and curiosity of viewers across demographics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diU_09jb4bI

 

4     Mountain Dew – “Puppy Monkey Baby”

Mountain Dew’s Super Bowl commercial is the weirdest ad I have seen in a very long time, but that is its strength. Some people love it, and some hate it, but everyone is talking about it. The Puppy Monkey Baby combination is the star of the show alongside strong messaging about the three ingredients of Kickstart. Do you love it or hate it? Comment below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql7uY36-LwA

 

5     Jeep – “Portraits”

This ad evokes nostalgia and spirit. The ads demonstrates the many uses of Jeep ranging from simply picking up groceries to using the Jeep as transportation in war and the movies. The ad shows black and white photos of common and famous people who all love Jeep. The ad ends with the slogan, “We don’t make Jeep. You do.” This is no hard sell, but it is moving and special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKn5K5V7tRo

 

6     Heinz – “Wiener Stampede”

How has Heinz not thought of this before? Nothing brings joy and positive associations to viewers like a stampede of adorable, short-legged, floppy eared wiener dogs running majestically towards the lucky Heinz condiment people standing in a field surrounded by bold mountaintops. Are the Heinz wieners the new Budweiser puppies? I think yes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOlfhBT8i9I

 

7     Prius – “The Longest Chase”

I really enjoyed this ad. Some critics believe it’s completely unrealistic and I completely agree, it is, but that is why it is humorous. The ad demonstrates different features of the Prius, like the small size, quiet engine and back up camera, as four men evade the police. This ad pokes fun at the perception of a Prius and seems to begin to reposition the car away from the focus on fuel efficiency and towards the idea that the car is fun to drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYeM-8hO3hM

Is your favorite ad not included in my list? Let me know your favorite in the comments section!

– Maggie Weldin, Marketing & PR Coordinator